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Okay, this is a test:
Sails are down, you are drifting with the wind and current, the autopilot is engaged, the engine is running, the transmission is in neutral, it is nighttime, youre having dinner in the cockpit with cockpit lights on. What navigation lights do you show?

Anchor light could be problematic, producing the appearance that you aren't moving. Deck lights, yeah if I had them they'd be on unless they affected my night vision. Landing lights always on? Below 18 (the equivalent of nearshore sailing, where there's more general aviation traffic), yeah you betcha. That IS an industry standard.

09-26-2012 11:08 PM

tdw

Re: Steaming light

Of course if you choose to have your steaming light illuminated then you are , propeller engaged or not, a power boat. There can be no quibble about that, surely.

I guess the question would be answered by the racing fraternity. Pretty much every top flight racing boat these days has their engine running 24 hours a day in order to keep power going to the canting keel mechanism and their plethora of electronic equipment.

I once asked a friend with a 1600 ton Masters License about what constitutes "under power", and he said that "if the machinery is turning" (i.e., the motor is on, in gear or not) a vessel is "under power". I suppose that wouldn't include a genset, since it can't turn the prop.

Slow .... he may well have said that but I'm still of the opinion from reading the regs that unless the propulsion machinery is engaged the vessel is not under power.

(b) The term “power-driven vessel” means any vessel propelled by machinery.
(c) The term “sailing vessel” means any vessel under sail provided that propelling machinery, if fitted, is not being used.

(e) A vessel proceeding under sail when also being propelled by machinery shall exhibit forward where it can best be seen a conical shape, apex downwards.

Ok so I am no maritime lawyer however a vessel with power plant operating though gearbox not engaged surely cannot be said to be being propelled by machinery.

09-26-2012 10:30 PM

Stearmandriver

This is just silly. I've already explained that your scenario is meaningless because it wouldn't happen... if I light myself as a powerboat, I'll certainly know I did that, and certainly behave as a powerboat. Yeah, I'm going to light myself as a powerboat and then quibble over stand-on / give-way status as though I were a sailboat... how does that even make any sense? Let's face it... a LOT more collisions happen because the boats simply did not see each other, than happen because of confusion over status. Even if you're convinced you're stand-on, are you really going to press it all the way to a collision with another vessel that you're aware of? First and foremost, in a small boat on a dark night, you want to be SEEN.

Standards, best practices etc are good things. They keep a lot of people safe in a lot of circumstances. But there's a point where you have to be able to think for yourself. In my aviation career, I've seen a couple people follow that rulebook right into the ground. This lighting scenario is obviously not that drastic, but it's kind of the same idea - if the circumstances are such that deviating from the rules in a conservative way is actually safer, and you are properly aware of what you're doing (realizing how others will perceive you in a right of way scenario), then it's sometimes the smarter option. It's all about JUDGEMENT. On a visibility-compromised night, choosing not to use an available highly visible light is, to me, poor judgment.
Agree or disagree, doesn't matter... at least hopefully you'll see me if we ever meet at night. And who knows, maybe I'll end up having to give way to you even though, if I turned off the steaming light, I'd be the stand-on. Maybe then you'd stop complaining. ;-)

Sailingfool, thank you for your continuing use of the terms "Stand on" and Give way" as opposed to the more commonly used and arrogant (and often mis-used) term "Right of way".

It would be interesting to do a survey of recreational boaters, sail and power, to see if they understand the terms "Stand on" and "Give way". The response might truly be scarry.

09-26-2012 10:13 PM

SlowButSteady

Re: Steaming light

I once asked a friend with a 1600 ton Masters License about what constitutes "under power", and he said that "if the machinery is turning" (i.e., the motor is on, in gear or not) a vessel is "under power". I suppose that wouldn't include a genset, since it can't turn the prop.

I would not do that myself. I would have my sails up and be hove-to, sailing lights on (sidelights and sternlight or tricolour).

You are underway , but you are not undersail (not sailing vessel), not propelled by machinery (not power-driven), not NUC or RAM.

I think that the courts may have decide.

I agree. The lack of control would be foolish in most circumstances. I added all that stuff to camoflage the the answer, which I once got wrong on a test. When I went through a Navy Recreational Services boating course I was incorrectly informed on this point. Thirty years later I got dunned for the answer on a, can us guess, Navy Recreational Services boating test.

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